Cigar lighter plug

ABSTRACT

A cigar lighter plug apparatus may include a case for surrounding a heating element which is equipped to a lower side thereof and including a groove therein, a cover fixing the case therein, a knob selectively engaged into the groove of the case through an upper side of the case, a lighting lamp formed to the knob, and a switching member formed on an inner wall of the groove and being selectively connected to the lightening member to turn on the lighting lamp according to a temperature of the case.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority to Korean Patent ApplicationNumber 10-2009-119155, filed on Dec. 3, 2009, the entire contents ofwhich are incorporated herein for all purposes by this reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a cigar lighter plug, and moreparticularly to a cigar lighter plug, wherein, by means of a lightingmember arranged in the cigar lighter plug, it is capable of easilydeciding whether a heating element including in the cigar lighter plugis used or not, and of easily confirming a temperature of the heatingelement.

2. Description of Related Art

In general, various electric devices are arranged in an instrument panelfor a vehicle. That is, a dashboard is arranged in the instrument panelso that a driver may recognize to cope with various current states ofthe vehicle while the driver runs the vehicle, and an audio apparatus aswell as a radio is arranged in the instrument panel in order to play atape or a CD.

In addition, a cigar lighter assembly is arranged in the instrumentpanel in order to light a cigar, wherein the cigar lighter assembly hasa structure that it is heated by an inner electric source of thevehicle.

FIG. 1 is a view for illustrating a cigar lighter assembly according tothe prior art.

As shown in FIG. 1, the cigar lighter assembly according to the priorart may include a cigar lighter plug 10 for providing a heat source ofhot temperature when an electric source is applied, and a cigar lightersocket 20 which is equipped to an instrument panel, wherein the cigarlighter socket 20 includes a socket body 21 for applying an electricsource into the cigar lighter plug 10 when the cigar lighter plug 10 isinserted.

Here, the cigar lighter plug 10 may include a heating element 11 foremitting heat when an electric source is applied, a case 12 forsurrounding the heating element 11 equipped to one side of the case 12,a cover 13 for embedding the case 12, and a knob 14 equipped to anotherside of the case 12.

On the other hand, the socket body 21 of the cigar lighter socket 20includes a bi-metal 22, wherein the bi-metal 22 fixes the cigar lighterplug 10 which is inserted into the cigar lighter socket 20, and thebi-metal 22 is expanded to burst open by a heat source of the heatingelement 11 when the heating element 11 of the cigar lighter socket 20 isheated to a high temperature, and accordingly, the cigar lighter plug 10may spring to draw out by a certain distance.

That is, a user is possible to easily confirm by the bi-metal 22 whetherthe heating element of the cigar lighter plug 10 is heated or not.

In more detail, when an electric source is applied to the heatingelement 11 of the cigar lighter plug 10 by means of the bi-metal 22 orthe socket body 21, the heating element 11 is heated to be reddish after10-15 seconds, and the temperature of the bi-metal 22 increases at thesame time, wherein a gap of the bi-metal 22 is split open, and the cigarlighter plug 10 protrudes from the cigar lighter socket 20 by a certaindistance.

But, in case of the cigar lighter assembly according to the prior art,the bi-metal 22 may be deformed according as the process is repeatedthat the cigar lighter plug 10 is protruded after it is equipped to thebi-metal 22. Accordingly, there was a problem that the cigar lighterplug 10 may be protruded even when the heating element 11 of the cigarlighter plug 10 is incompletely heated not to be reddish.

Furthermore, in case where another person except a user touches thecigar lighter plug 10 in a state that the heating element 11 of thecigar lighter plug 10 is heated and protruded from, there was a problemthat another person may be injured since he cannot confirm thetemperature of the heating element 11 with the naked eye.

In addition, according as the heating element 11 of the cigar lighterplug 10 is heated to be reddish, there was a problem that a noise suchas a sound of ‘clatter’ occurs when the cigar lighter plug 10 isprotruded from the cigar lighter socket 20.

The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section isonly for enhancement of understanding of the general background of theinvention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form ofsuggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to aperson skilled in the art.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In order to overcome the above-described problems, various aspects ofthe present invention are directed to provide a cigar lighter plug,wherein, it include a lighting member which is lighted when a heatingelement is heated up to be reddish, and accordingly, anyone can confirmwhether the cigar lighter plug is used or not, and can confirm thetemperature of the heating element.

In an aspect of the present invention, the cigar lighter plug apparatusmay include a case for surrounding a heating element which is equippedto a lower side thereof and including a groove therein, a cover fixingthe case therein, a knob selectively engaged into the groove of the casethrough an upper side of the case, a lighting lamp formed to the knob,and a switching member formed on an inner wall of the groove and beingselectively connected to the lightening member to turn on the lightinglamp according to a temperature of the case.

The knob may include a through hole formed through a longitudinaldirection of the knob and the lighting lamp is arranged at a lower sideof the through hole such that a light beam of the lighting lamp isselectively irradiated through the through hole in accordance withoperation of the switching member.

The switching member may be a bi-metal formed on an inner wall of thecase and disposed with a predetermined distance from the lightening lampwhen the knob is coupled to the case, and contacts to the lighting lampto supply an electricity to the lighting lamp and turn on the lightinglamp when the temperature of the case is increased by heat applied fromthe heating element beyond a predetermined temperature.

A closing cover may be combined into an upper side of the through hole,wherein the closing cover is made up of a transparent material or asemi-transparent material.

The switching member may be turned on when the temperature of the caseis beyond a predetermined temperature and the switching member may beturned off when the temperature of the case is below the predeterminedtemperature.

In another aspect of the present invention, the cigar lighter plugapparatus may include a case for surrounding a heating element which isequipped to a lower side thereof and including a groove therein, a coverfixing the case therein, a knob selectively engaged into the groove ofthe case through an upper side of the case and including a through holeformed through the knob, a lighting lamp arranged at a lower side of thethrough hole, and a bi-metal formed on an inner wall of the case anddisposed with a predetermined distance from the lightening lamp when theknob is coupled to the case, and contacts to the lighting lamp to turnon the lighting lamp and thus illuminate a light beam through thethrough hole of the knob when the temperature of the case is increasedby heat applied from the heating element beyond a predeterminedtemperature.

According the to the present invention, by arranging the lighting memberwhich is lighted corresponding to the temperature of the heating elementin the cigar lighter plug, it is possible to externally decide whetherthe heating element is used or not, and easily confirm the temperatureof the heating element. In addition, it is possible to prevent thatsomebody may come to harm by the heating element and that noise mayoccur by the heating element. Furthermore, it is possible to increasethe merchantability.

The methods and apparatuses of the present invention have other featuresand advantages which will be apparent from or are set forth in moredetail in the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, andthe following Detailed Description of the Invention, which togetherserve to explain certain principles of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view of illustrating a cigar lighter assembly according tothe prior art.

FIG. 2 is a view for illustrating an exemplary cigar lighter assemblyaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a view for showing a status that an exemplary cigar lighterassembly is being used according to the present invention.

It should be understood that the appended drawings are not necessarilyto scale, presenting a somewhat simplified representation of variousfeatures illustrative of the basic principles of the invention. Thespecific design features of the present invention as disclosed herein,including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, locations,and shapes will be determined in part by the particular intendedapplication and use environment.

In the figures, reference numbers refer to the same or equivalent partsof the present invention throughout the several figures of the drawing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of thepresent invention(s), examples of which are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings and described below. While the invention(s) willbe described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments, it will beunderstood that present description is not intended to limit theinvention(s) to those exemplary embodiments. On the contrary, theinvention(s) is/are intended to cover not only the exemplaryembodiments, but also various alternatives, modifications, equivalentsand other embodiments, which may be included within the spirit and scopeof the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Now, a cigar lighter plug according to an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention will be explained in detail with reference to theaccompanying drawings of FIGS. 2 and 3.

The cigar lighter plug 100 according to the present invention includes alighting member 300 which is lighted corresponding to the temperature ofthe heating element 110, and accordingly, anyone can easily confirmwhether the heating element 110 is used or not, and can easily confirmthe temperature of the heating element 110.

That is, when the heating element 110 of the cigar lighter plug 100 isheated up to be reddish beyond a predetermined temperature, the lightingmember 300 is turned on, and accordingly, it is possible to confirm thatthe heating element 110 is in a state of high temperature. And then,when the temperature of the heating element 110 comes down below thepredetermined temperature, the lighting member 300 is turned off, andaccordingly, it is possible to confirm that the heating element 110 isin a state of low temperature.

Accordingly, in case of the cigar lighter plug 100 with the built-inlighting member 300 according to an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention, the temperature of the heating element 110 may be easilyconfirmed by deciding whether the lighting member 300 is lighted or not.

On the other hand, the cigar lighter assembly according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2, may include acigar lighter plug 100 for equipping the heating element 110 whichprovides a heat source of hot temperature when an electric source isapplied, and a cigar lighter socket 200 for applying an electric sourceinto the heating element 110 to be heated, in which the cigar lighterplug 100 is inserted and equipped to the cigar lighter socket 200. Here,a lighting member 300 is embedded in the cigar lighter plug 100, whereinthe lighting member 300 is turned on when the heating element 110 isheated to a high temperature.

Now, a structure of the cigar lighter assembly according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention will be explained in more detail.

The cigar lighter plug 100 includes a heating element 110 which is woundin the shape of a coil, a case 120 for surrounding the heating element110 which is equipped by a screw to its lower side, a cylindrical cover130 which is formed in the shape for surrounding an outer circumferenceof the case 120 and is made of a metal in order to conduct electricity,and a knob 140 which is inserted and equipped to a groove 121 formedinside the case 120.

Here, the knob 140 may be made of synthetic resins lest a heat sourcewith a high temperature should be applied or the electricity should beconducted. In addition, a through hole 141 is formed in the knob 140 soas to penetrate from an upper side to a lower side as shown in FIG. 2,wherein an upper side of the through hole 141 is combined into a closingcover 142 which is made of transparent material or semi-transparentmaterial.

On the other hand, the heating element 110, and the case 120 and thecover 130 are connected by a screw, and accordingly, the heat source orthe electricity may conduct through each other.

The cigar lighter socket 200 is to apply electricity so that the heatingelement 110 of the cigar lighter plug 100 may be heated to be reddish,wherein the cigar lighter socket 200 includes a socket body formed in aninstrument panel, and a socket body 210 which is connected to a powersupply inside a vehicle.

That is, in case of the cigar lighter assembly according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention, when the cigar lighter plug 100 isinserted into the socket body 210 of the cigar lighter socket 200, theheating element 110 and the case 120 are heated to a high temperature bymean of a resisting force according to the electric source which isapplied from the socket body 210. Accordingly, a user may light acigarette by using the cigar lighter plug 100 including the heatingelement 110 heated to a high temperature.

The lighting member 300 is to be turned on or off corresponding to thetemperature of the heating element 110, wherein the lighting member 300includes a lighting lamp 310 equipped to a lower side of the throughhole 141 and lighted on when the electric source is applied, and anumber of bi-metals 320 formed at the two sides of an inner wall in thegroove 121 which is placed at a lower side of the lighting lamp 310,wherein the bi-metal 320 expands when the temperature of the case 120rises through the heating element 110, and applies the electric sourceapplied into the case 120 by being connected to each of the plusterminal and the minus terminal of the lighting lamp 310.

The lighting lamp 310 may use an LED lighting lamp which includes an LEDmodule, a reflector, a heat radiating plate, and the like, in which theLED module includes a plus terminal and a minus terminal. At this time,a detail explanation of the lighting lamp 310 will be omitted since itis well known.

It is well known that the bi-metal 320 is manufactured by combining twometals with different thermal expansion coefficients, and accordingly, adetail explanation of the bi-metal 320 will be omitted.

A status that the cigar lighter assembly having the above-describedelements is being used will be explained as follows.

To begin with, as shown in FIG. 3, when the cigar lighter plug 100 isinserted into the cigar lighter socket 200 and thus the lightening lamp310 is disposed above the bi-metal 320 with a predetermined distance,the heating element 110 is heated to be reddish by means of the electricsource which is applied from the socket body 210 to the heating element110, and accordingly, a hot temperature and the electric source areapplied into the case 120 and the cover 130 by the heating element 110.

At this time, if the case 120 is heated by the above-described heatingelement 110, the bi-metal 320 is expanded gradually and connected to aplus terminal and a minus terminal of the lighting lamp 310. And then,the lighting lamp 310 is connected to the case 120 by means of thebi-metal 320 to apply an electric source so that the lighting lamp 310is lighted to spread a light. In addition, the light of the lightinglamp 310 passes through the through hole 141 and the closing cover 142of the knob 140 to spread externally.

Therefore, the user may identify that the existing heating element 110is heated to a high temperature by a light which is spread from the knob140 of the cigar lighter plug 100. And then, the user may concentrateattention, and accordingly, it is possible to remarkably prevent thatthe user may be injured.

On the other hand, if the temperature of the heating element 110 fallsdown after a certain time elapses, the temperature of the case 120 aswell as the temperature of the heating element 110 falls down.Accordingly, the bi-metal 320 returns to its original position, andthen, the electric source is cut off so that the lighting lamp 310 isturned off.

Thus, in case where the user confirms that the light is not spread fromthe knob 140 of the cigar lighter plug 100, the user may identify thatthe existing heating element 110 is in a state of a low temperature.

According to the cigar lighter assembly having the above-describedelements, by arranging the lighting member 300 in the cigar lighter plug100, in which the lighting member 300 includes the lighting lamp 310 andthe bi-metal 320, it is possible to externally decide whether theheating element 110 is used or not, and easily confirm the temperatureof the heating element 110.

Furthermore, because it may remove the bi-metal which is applied intothe cigar lighter socket in order to confirm whether the heating elementof the cigar lighter plug in the prior art is heated to a hightemperature or not, it is possible to remarkably prevent from varioustroubles of the cigar lighter socket owing to the bi-metal.

For convenience in explanation and accurate definition in the appendedclaims, the terms “upper”, “lower” and “inner” are used to describefeatures of the exemplary embodiments with reference to the positions ofsuch features as displayed in the figures.

The foregoing descriptions of specific exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention have been presented for purposes of illustration anddescription. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit theinvention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously manymodifications and variations are possible in light of the aboveteachings. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described in orderto explain certain principles of the invention and their practicalapplication, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to make andutilize various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, as wellas various alternatives and modifications thereof. It is intended thatthe scope of the invention be defined by the Claims appended hereto andtheir equivalents.

1. A cigar lighter plug apparatus comprising: a case for surrounding aheating element which is equipped to a lower side thereof and includinga groove therein; a cover fixing the case therein; a knob selectivelyengaged into the groove of the case through an upper side of the case; alighting lamp formed to the knob; and a switching member formed on aninner wall of the groove and being selectively connected to thelightening member to turn on the lighting lamp according to atemperature of the case.
 2. The cigar lighter plug apparatus accordingto claim 1, wherein the knob includes a through hole formed through alongitudinal direction of the knob and the lighting lamp is arranged ata lower side of the through hole such that a light beam of the lightinglamp is selectively irradiated through the through hole in accordancewith operation of the switching member.
 3. The cigar lighter plugapparatus according to claim 2, wherein the switching member is abi-metal formed on an inner wall of the case and disposed with apredetermined distance from the lightening lamp when the knob is coupledto the case, and contacts to the lighting lamp to supply an electricityto the lighting lamp and turn on the lighting lamp when the temperatureof the case is increased by heat applied from the heating element beyonda predetermined temperature.
 4. The cigar lighter plug apparatusaccording to claim 2, wherein a closing cover is combined into an upperside of the through hole.
 5. The cigar lighter plug apparatus accordingto claim 4, wherein the closing cover is made up of a transparentmaterial or a semi-transparent material.
 6. The cigar lighter plugapparatus according to claim 1, wherein the switching member is turnedon when the temperature of the case is beyond a predeterminedtemperature and the switching member is turned off when the temperatureof the case is below the predetermined temperature
 7. The cigar lighterplug apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the switching member is abi-metal formed on an inner wall of the case and disposed with apredetermined distance from the lightening lamp when the knob is coupledto the case, and contacts to the lighting lamp to supply an electricityto the lighting lamp and turn on the lighting lamp when the temperatureof the case is increased by heat applied from the heating element beyonda predetermined temperature.
 8. A cigar lighter plug apparatuscomprising: a case for surrounding a heating element which is equippedto a lower side thereof and including a groove therein; a cover fixingthe case therein; a knob selectively engaged into the groove of the casethrough an upper side of the case and including a through hole formedthrough the knob; a lighting lamp arranged at a lower side of thethrough hole; and a bi-metal formed on an inner wall of the case anddisposed with a predetermined distance from the lightening lamp when theknob is coupled to the case, and contacts to the lighting lamp to turnon the lighting lamp and thus illuminates a light beam through thethrough hole of the knob when the temperature of the case is increasedby heat applied from the heating element beyond a predeterminedtemperature.